List of State Leaders in 1961 - Africa

Africa

• Cameroon
  • the Southern Cameroons part of British Cameroons joined Cameroon on 1 October 1961
  • President - Ahmadou Ahidjo, President of Cameroon (1960–1982)
  • Prime Ministers-
    • East Cameroon - Charles Assalé, Prime Minister of East Cameroon (1960–1965)
    • West Cameroon - John Ngu Foncha, Prime Minister of West Cameroon (1959–1965)
• Central African Republic
  • President - David Dacko, President of the Central African Republic (1960–1966)
• Chad
  • Head of State - François Tombalbaye, Head of State of Chad (1960–1975)
  • Prime Minister - François Tombalbaye, Prime Minister of Chad (1959–1975)
• Congo–Brazzaville (Republic of the Congo)
  • President - Fulbert Youlou, President of Congo (Brazzaville) (1960–1963)
• Congo–Léopoldville (Republic of the Congo)
  • Head of State - Joseph Kasa-Vubu, Head of State of Congo (Léopoldville) (1960–1965)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Justin Marie Bomboko, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners-general of Congo (Léopoldville) (1960–1961)
    2. Joseph Iléo, Prime Minister of Congo (Léopoldville) (1961)
    3. Cyrille Adoula, Prime Minister of Congo (Léopoldville) (1961–1964)
  • South Kasai (unrecognized secessionist state)
    • reintegrated into Congo (Léopoldville) on 30 December 1961
    • President - Albert Kalonji, President of South Kasai (1960–1961)
    • Prime Minister - Joseph Ngalula, Prime Minister of South Kasai (1960–1961)
  • Katanga (unrecognized secessionist state)
    • President - Moise Tshombe, President of Katanga (1960–1963)
• Dahomey
  • President - Hubert Maga, President of Dahomey (1960–1963)
• Ethiopia
  • Monarch - Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia (1930–1974)
  • Prime Minister - Aklilu Habte-Wold, Prime Minister of Ethiopia (1961–1974)
• Gabon
  • President - Léon M'ba, President of Gabon (1960–1964)
  • Prime Minister - Léon M'ba, Prime Minister of Gabon (1957–1961)
• Ghana
  • President - Kwame Nkrumah, President of Ghana (1960–1966)
• Guinea
  • President - Ahmed Sékou Touré, President of Guinea (1958–1984)
• Ivory Coast
  • President - Félix Houphouët-Boigny, President of Ivory Coast (1960–1993)
• Liberia
  • President - William Tubman, President of Liberia (1944–1971)
• Libya
  • Monarch - Idris, King of Libya (1951–1969)
  • Prime Minister - Muhammad Osman Said, Prime Minister of Libya (1960–1963)
• Malagasy Republic
  • President - Philibert Tsiranana, President of Malagasy Republic (1959–1972)
• Mali
  • Head of State - Modibo Keïta, Chief of State of Mali (1960–1968)
  • Prime Minister - Modibo Keïta, Prime Minister of Mali (1959–1965)
• Mauritania
  • President - Moktar Ould Daddah, President of Mauritania (1960–1978)
  • Prime Minister - Moktar Ould Daddah, Prime Minister of Mauritania (1957–1961)
• Morocco
  • Monarch -
    1. Mohammed V, King of Morocco (1955–1961)
    2. Hassan II, King of Morocco (1961–1999)
• Niger
  • President - Hamani Diori, President of Niger (1960–1974)
• Nigeria
  • the Northern Cameroons part of British Cameroons joined Nigeria on 1 June 1961
  • Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of Nigeria (1960–1963)
  • Governor-General - Nnamdi Azikiwe, Governor-General of Nigeria (1960–1966)
  • Prime Minister - Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Prime Minister of Nigeria (1957–1966)
• Senegal
  • President - Léopold Sédar Senghor, President of Senegal (1960–1980)
  • Prime Minister - Mamadou Dia, Prime Minister of Senegal (1957–1962)
• Sierra Leone
  • gained independence on 27 April 1961
  • Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of Sierra Leone (1961–1971)
  • Governor-General - Sir Maurice Henry Dorman, Governor of Sierra Leone (1956–1961), Governor-General of Sierra Leone (1961–1962)
  • Prime Minister - Sir Milton Margai, Prime Minister of Sierra Leone (1954–1964)
• Somalia
  • President - Aden Abdullah Osman Daar, President of Somalia (1960–1967)
  • Prime Minister - Abdirashid Ali Shermarke, Prime Minister of Somalia (1960–1964)
• South Africa
  • Union of South Africa changed name to South Africa on 31 May 1961
  • Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of South Africa (1952–1961)
  • Governor-General -
    1. Charles Robberts Swart, Governor-General of South Africa (1960–1961)
    2. Lucas Cornelius Steyn, Officer Administering the Government of South Africa (1961)
  • President - Charles Robberts Swart, State President of South Africa (1961–1967)
  • Prime Minister - Hendrik Verwoerd, Prime Minister of South Africa (1958–1966)
• Sudan
  • President - Ibrahim Abboud, President of Sudan (1958–1964)
  • Prime Minister - Ibrahim Abboud, Prime Minister of Sudan (1958–1964)
• Tanganyika
  • Tanganyika Territory gained independence on 9 December 1961
  • Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of Tanganyika (1961–1962)
  • Governor-General - Sir Richard Turnbull, Governor of Tanganyika (1958–1961), Governor-General of Tanganyika (1961–1962)
  • Prime Minister - Julius Nyerere, Prime Minister of Tanganyika (1960–1962)
• Togo
  • President - Sylvanus Olympio, President of Togo (1960–1963)
  • Prime Minister - Sylvanus Olympio, Prime Minister of Togo (1958–1961)
• Tunisia
  • President - Habib Bourguiba, President of Tunisia (1957–1987)
• United Arab Republic (Egypt)
  • Syria seceded on 28 September 1961
  • President - Gamal Abdel Nasser, President of the United Arab Republic (1954–1970)
  • Prime Minister - Gamal Abdel Nasser, Prime Minister of the United Arab Republic (1954–1962)
• Upper Volta
  • President - Maurice Yaméogo, President of Upper Volta (1959–1966)